Villa ace Bent helps pay medical treatment for young fan

The Daily Mail says Bent has put his philanthropic side on display by donating £1,000 to help a four-year-old with a brain condition seek medical help.

Zane Smith from Huntington suffers from a rare condition called CCM3, which can be deadly, and his parents launched an appeal to raise money to see medical experts in Chicago.

It took Lee and Kim Smith less than 24 hours to raise the £5,000 required for the trip, and it was Bent who pushed them over the target.

Zane's father and Bent used to play together at Godmanchester Rovers under-11s to under-14s, and Smith was thrilled at the donation.

"It's amazing that he is helping a boy that he doesn't know," he said.

The 29-year-old father said that he never expected the kind of generosity that's been shown.

"It's unbelievable," he said. "I thought we were going to struggle to raise the money as it is just after Christmas and money is tight for everyone, but still people found money to donate - it's unreal."